Holdfast.



Patented Ian. 23, I900.

H 0 L D FAS T (Application filed Nov. 7, 1899.)

(No Model.)

IIWENTOR WITNESSES m: NORRIS PUERS 00.. Px-wfoumod WASHINGTON, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE.

FRANCIS PLANQUE, OF FERREYRES, SWITZERLAND.

HOLDFAST'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,886, dated January 23, 1900.

A lication filed November '7, 1899. Serial No. 736,109. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknownthatl, FRANCIS PLANQUE, merchant, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing in Ferreyres, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holdfasts, of which the following is a specification.

The invention consists in an improved holdfast to aflixa piece ofwood on a joiners bench without any necessity of knocking with a hammer upon the head of the holdfast.

The accompanying drawings show by way ofexample one form of execution of the invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the complete holdfast. Fig. 2 is a view from the right to the left of Fig. l of the upper portion of the rod or shank of the holdfast shown in Fig. 1 after taking 0d the other portions of the latter.

The rod or shank of the holdfast is composed of a cylindrical iron bar having at its top a reduced cylindrical portion of smaller diameter than the rod itself and a rectangular opening 6, which crosses diametrically the head of this top portion. Upon this latter portion there is engaged a socket 2 of an arm 3, to which is hinged, by means of a pivot 4, the main lever 5 of the holdfast. One of the ends of the lever 5 is engaged in the opening 6, which is intended to guide the said end, and the other end of said lever 5 is provided with an elongated opening 7, in which is engaged the pivot 8 of the shoe 9, intended to rest upon the piece of wood to be fastened upon the bench. The opening is so formed and placed that when being abandoned to itself the shoe 9 returns by its own weight to the position shown in Fig. 1. An antagonist spring 10, fixed to the lever 5 and resting against the upper wall of the opening 6, tends to raise the shoe 9.

Between the socket 2 of the arm 3 and the upper end of lever 5 is lodged the socket 11 of the hand-lever 12, intended to be used for causing the wedging of the lever 5 upon the piece of wood which is to be fastened upon the bench. This wedging or fastening is ob tained by means of corresponding inclined planes formed on the one hand upon the socket 2 and on the other hand underneath the socket 11, as shown in Fig. 1. On turning the handle 12 in the direction shown by arrow 06 the top end of the lever 5 is raised as shown by arrow 1), and from this results a pression on the pivot 8 of the shoe 9, as shown by arrow 0.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- An improved holdfast, characterized by the combination of a rod or shank 1 with a rotative arm 3 to which is hinged a lever 5 bearing a shoe 9, connected to said lever 5 by means of a pivot 8 playing in an inclined slot 7 of said lever 5 so as to automatically lower the shoe 9 when abandoned to itself and with a hand-lever 12 pivoted to the rod or shank 1 between the lever 5 and arm 3 and provided with suitable wedges or inclines for causing the said lever 5 to press upon the shoe 9 when suitably rotated substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in pres ence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS PLANQUE.

Witnesses:

E. IMER-SCHNEIDER, L. H. MUNICH. 

